Philistines

John 10:10; 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it abundantly. Even the devil can disguise himself when approaching the children of God. Our defense is God, love and humility. Let us embrace the good news that no evil scheme can ruin us if we abide in the light of the glorious Gospel of true freedom, which is in Jesus Christ and Him alone. 2 Corinthians 4:6-12; 6 For God, who commanded the light…

Uniquely, the story of Sinuhe is an ancient Egyptian poem, a narrative, possibly written circa 1875 BC during the twelfth dynasty, found on a tomb. The Egyptian story has many religious passages throughout. The poem over the course of a couple thousand years being scribed, copied and passed down from generation to generation. Furthermore, being used as a study from ancient times to the present, thus, making The Tale of Sinuhe one of the most read and admired Egyptian poems ever written.…

The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently announced the speaker for its Annual Dinner to be held May 26. The Chamber has historically been able to attract former Presidents, foreign heads of state, and Nobel laureates. This year, bestselling author and writer for The New Yorker, Malcolm Gladwell will be speaking. Gladwell has written five books, all of which I’ve read and generally enjoyed. For those of you unfamiliar with Gladwell’s work, he typically writes about explanations…

what ought to be and this is precisely what most moral codes do. Religions have been exceedingly effective tools when it comes to enforcing their version of morality, the only problem is that such versions have been too limited in their goals, too philistine in their conclusions, as well as irrationally apathetic and non-inclusive of certain moral patients. They are not internally consistent, they are not grounded in logic, their considerations are not pensive, their sources fantastical, their…

From studying anatomy to discovering new techniques for painting, Renaissance artwork stemmed from creating masterpieces that encompassed a wide range of topics. The Renaissance paved the way for artists to find new methods which lead to an abundant number of influential pieces. Not solely in one area, but spanning the entire region of Europe, it is obvious that the sculptures were a significant facet of this time period, in particular, depicting historical figures and then displaying them in…

Moses delivered the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage and led them almost to the Promised Land (via the LORD of course). Then Joshua completed Moses’ work by bringing them into the Promise Land. Then Joshua led the conquest against all the nations that occupied the land; killing everyone in their path. Now with Moses and Joshua gone, the period of the Judges begins. This was a time when Israel was governed by a series of very colorful judges as you will see. Then the period of the…

Today, many view man as corrupt and not in control of his own destiny. One of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance period, Michelangelo, incorporated mental insight, realism and passion in his work. One of Michelangelo’s sculptures rejects many modern misconceptions of men. The sculpture, David, is the story of a young boy who chose to fight a stronger opponent in order to save his people. While wearing no armor, he defeated Goliath using his bravery and skill. Compared to artwork…

Industrialization in the 19th century replaced rural life for an urban society filled with machinery and mass production. This new industrialized society brought riches and an increase in the standard of living for the bourgeoisie while creating dreadful working and living conditions for the poor. These conditions forced the working class into a desensitized state in which they no longer felt the exploitative conditions of industrialization and fell into senseless obedience. Although, the…

Over the course of the second half of this class’s readings, one reads into the latter and larger part of the Old Testament, as well as the earlier portion of the New Testament. This provides a nice transitionary period in realizing the connection between some of the Messianic and other prophecies made in the prophetic books of the Old Testament with the realizations of those prophecies in the New Testament, with both the exile of Israel, and the birth and life of Jesus Christ. Immediately…

Walter Brueggemann's “The Prophetic Imagination” is a rediscovery of modern Christian’s religious heritage that has been lost in today socially divisive culture. The heritage Bruggermann argues for is fixed in both liberal “social action” and conservative “future telling.” Both liberal and conservative groups embody one certain aspect of what it means to be prophetic, disregarding the balance of what it truly means to be a prophetic community in society. In opposition to the choices churches…